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Monday, April 09, 2007

Students today are spoilt for choices after completing their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) as there are many institutions offering post-SPM courses, such as GCE A-level, South Australian Matriculation (SAM), and American Degree Programs (ADP), to name a few.

Currently in Malaysia, there are two boards offering GCE A-level, mainly the Cambridge board, and the London board. For those who are unfamiliar with GCE A-Level, A-level is like Form 6 in the United Kingdom but it is currently taken in many Commonwealth countries due to its world wide recognition.

The Cambridge board A-level is available in private institutions such as Taylor’s, INTI, Nilai and KDU while the London board A-level is available in HELP and UCSI. These two boards offer similar, but not identical syllabuses and their examinations method differ from one another.

The Cambridge A-level examinations are conducted in two phrases, Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced Two (A2) respectively. For example, for Mathematics, you can have a choice to take either Mechanics 1 and Statistics 1 for AS and A2, or Mechanics 1 and Mechanics 2, or Statistics 1 and Statistics 2, depending on the course that you want to take in the future.

Meanwhile, for the London A-level, examinations are conducted in units for every subject. Students sit for 2 units for every subject at a time during their examinations and at the end of the course, grades will be based on the average mark of all the units added up together.

Both boards limit the minimum of subjects to be taken at 3, and the maximum at 4 subjects. Subjects offered at different colleges vary from one another, thus, it is up to the students to decide which college is most suitable to them. Liked this post?Subscribe now to read more post like this one!Tweet

bear with bm (like i am trying my best to), i'm not rich too. i suck when i speak in bm (no one truly understands what i say as i have "hor","eh","lar" at the back of my every bm sentence), but i can write well (better than most malay students in my class)

STPM is accepted in most universities and the Science subjects are being taught in English. As for the Arts subjects, they are still being taught in BM but I don't think that is a problem.

As for A-levels, if your family is not that well-to-do, I would suggest you to not go for it cause it can easily cost from RM20-30k depending on which college. One more thing, you can't enter local public unis with A-levels.

With STPM, you can still go overseas, and there are more opportunities for you (local public uni as your fallback). But STPM is tough as far as I know (but A-levels ain't easy too).

My advice would be save on pre-uni, then get into a good uni. All the best.

hi. i just read your blog today and i hvae some questions.im currently doing SAM at taylors college and would like to change to a levels in HELP. however, many of mi friends tell me that the london board is not really recognised overseas. is this true? will i really not be able to get into any good uni if i do edexcel a levels?

ill be taking up GCE A-Level in Sunway..handled by Cambridge International Examinations..

just a request,

can someone enlighten me on the grading and the marking system? cos my sponsor (PETRONAS) set a minimum level to be able to continue sponsoring us overseas...which is 24. what does the 24 mean? so far, nobody has given me a concrete answer yet.

i'm sure it is accept by overseas university... in your fat dream!I got a A- for useless PA, B+ for biology and pure math and a B for chemistry. guess what do I get? I failed to enrolled into NUS, singapore, not even NURSING course!!! can you believe it? stop perceiving yourself, they say it is recognised, but they treat it like nothing.

I'm from the last batch of students who still uses BM for Maths and Science in 2006, and allow me to share with you bits of my experience studying GCE A Level.

It's obvious that the biggest challenge a freshie will face is the language barrier of A level studies.

I as a science student, have to recall all the terms in BM and then translate it into English, which is inaccurate for some cases.

Like how we start things from the beginning, there must be a period of struggle to adapt to a new study environment.

It takes time to get used to sitting inside an air-cond'ed lecture hall instead of sitting in the classroom copying notes. Of course a lecture hall is more comfortable than a classroom, so you'll be feeling good after few weeks. (Perhaps maybe you've to spare yourself a jacket to fight the chilly air-cond in the lecture hall.)

For the students who finished SPM this year (2007), they'll be able to adapt into the A Level syllabus pretty swiftly because they're used to study those subjects in English.

Basically, many things from the 1st semester in A Levels are repetition from SPM syllabus.

Because of this, some reference books for SPM might still be useful for the initial part of A Levels, though an STPM reference book might be more practical. Those A Level reference books are costly, so the closest substitute for A Level reference is STPM reference books, which cost a little more than SPM books.

however , after readin d posts in tis blog , i cant help but ponder on this ques =S if it;s true , then wat is the point of me spendin a uge amount of money sittin 4 somethin which is probably on par wif stpm , which is so much cheaper, n yet can b accepted internationally as well? can sum1 pls enlighten me? thank u very much ! ur help is much appreciated =)

STPM (Arts Stream) is still being taught in BM while STPM (Science Stream) is taught in English. A-Level, on the other hand, is fully taught in English.

STPM is recognised in public universities locally and in overseas universities but A-Level is recognised only in private institutions locally and in overseas universities.

In my opinion, most people who go for A-Level do so because of the better facilities, tutors, etc that they have at private colleges.

And it may be due to the way that both programmes are taught. The way STPM is taught is similar to SPM (This is according to what my ex-classmates told me about VI). A-Level on the other hand, prepares one for university life (It's like a bridge between SPM and university life).

In the end, it's all about whether you can afford studying A-Level. It's not cheap, ranging from RM20-odd thousand to about RM40k (including exam fees). Else, it would be better if you take STPM and use the money instead for to fund your university studies.

I wouldn't comment on which college is the best but I can give you some tips to choose one.

1. BudgetChoose one that suits your budget. Bear in mind to add in exam fees (as these might cost a few thousand ringgit).

2. CredibilityYou might want to ask around (preferably your seniors who might be studying there) about the environment, facilities, tutors, etc. Best if you could go to the campus personally and look around. Ask lots of questions. Private education doesn't come cheap. Always check whether the programme is accredited by LAN.

3. Further educationCheck if the institution assists you in furthering your studies in the future. While going on a campus tour, you might want to ask the students there about any workshops, programmes, lectures on how to further your studies, how to go for an interview, etc.

4. LocationIt's best to choose one that's conveniently located close to you. If not, check all possible public transport routes. Try familiarizing yourself with the routes, or maybe have car-pooling with your classmates.

Good info here guys! And yes I certainly agree to the statement made where we save on Pre-U and invest more on our Uni level.

I'm a SPM 2007 candidate, waiting for results (eherm, next week!). I enrolled HELP A Levels in early January 2008 with my forecast result. But I got out of it as soon as I attended 2 days of orientation - as I couldn't bear with the costs and I need more time to consider about it.

I started to do more researches on other Pre-U programmes. I kinda like got back to HELP but back to its Foundation Programme. I would like to enter Monash Uni for my Business and Commerce degree but sadly, Monash doesn't really recognise HELP's foundation from their counselor's words. They advised me to go for A Levels again coz its recognised internationally.

I wonder if Monash does recognise TAR College A Levels or even UCSI's A Levels despite being recognised internationally. Anyone knows ? Coz I kinda fear Monash might ... somehow look down on TARC's standard. Haha.

I would like to post a comment here to clear some doubts about CIE A-levels.

I enrolled in Disted-stamford college in Penang for a 11 month program in science, instead of the usual 18 month program.

Even though i took up a faster course, (11 months) I found that it is managable, as 80% of the contents have already been taught in Form 4 and 5. (i only speak for science, not arts)

Its about 10k a year for tuition fees, plus 2k for exam fees. Altogether, 12k. Manageable.

Stpm are recognised worldwide, so is A-levels. Problem is, gov uni do not accept A-levels.

So, its just a matter of MONEY. Do you have the cash to support your uni tuition fees privately?

Difference between A levels and form 6:-Form 6 is just like school, crappy school rules, weirdo teachers, annoying cocurricular activities.

Alevels is just like uni life, attend lectures, tutorials, liberal, study on your own will, join clubs and societies at your own will.(which is one huge reason i went to a-levels)

Some people might get so carried away with the freedom given in college that they lose track of their goals: you are in college to study, not to waste your parent's hard earned money on frivolous outings and hanging out.

As a college student, it pains me to see people who got so giddy at this new found freedom and skipping classes to go to malls and eat.

I come from and average income group family, and though i do have social outings with friends, i do not cross the line.

I do hope to go overseas with a fat scholarship and good grades.

Another reminder, if you aim to go overseas, do not forget to take up TOEFL and IELTS.Aim to go USA, take up SAT and TOEFL as well.

Between SAM and a-levels, i much prefer a-levels.SAM can only take you to australia, A-levels take you anywhere.

Contrary to what people believe, SAM is not easier than A-levels. It's the other way round.

SAM has a grade point system. Even if you have 0.1 point less than someone else, you still lose out. A levels are just grades, A B C.

SAM has tons of coursework. If you are not a fan of coursework, (like me) opt for A-levels as your grades just depend on how well you do in exams without depending on crappy group members in coursework which might jeopardise your points. Plus, SAM has exams too.

Between Edexcel or CIE, i much prefer CIE. Like they say, would you prefer Nike wear or Adidas wear? (no offense to Adidas fans)

Since both A level and STPM are recognized worldwide,Choosing STPM would be a better choice.It is really cheaper as compared to A level.

Of course, the curriculum in STPM is really annoying,crappy school rules, weirdo teachers,.. Eveybody hates this!and life in A level seems to be more enjoyable, live like a uni life, attend lectures, tutorials, liberal, study on your own will, join clubs and societies at your own will...

Who doesn't want that?

However, If you study A level simply because of this...I don't think this is rational.

If you have thousand of pounds,go ahead!

But for the medium income family,I don't recommend.

why don't you save those money for your universityinstead of wasting it in such way?

hi, now im trying to apply for a-level. can somebody tell me, is scinece subjects for a-level is hard? b'coz in spm, i took science stream. im not too confident with my ability to continue my study in science? do you think it is reasoneable for me to turn my way into commerce in a-level?

Yes there are scholarships available for your degree course after your A Level. One of my seniors was able to obtain a JPA scholarship to study in the UK, after she was offered a placing at University College London (and by the way, she's not a malay or a bumiputra, so don't let rumours about not being able to get a scholarship because of your race, influence you). You're more likely to obtain a scholarship once you've got a placing at your desired university. You should apply for one after you've received your university offer letter.

And about the results, Ivy Leagues and Oxbridge will only accept students who take up 4 subjects. It's best that a student scores straight A's to get a placing in such universities.

Your co-curricular activities will play a significant role during an interview. One must bare in mind that getting straight A's for your A Level does not guarantee a placing in a prestigious univeristy if you lack communication skills.

Hi there,after read all the comments, i decide not to take a level after i get my spm results.huhu,cos im not come from a well-to-do family lor.no matter how hard the next stage of my life, i ll choose to study at form6 6..instead,i already apply to further my study at matriculation..hopefully,im selected cos my trial result is quite good..huhu,my second plan would be apply to further my study at univeriti teknologi petronas...however,i m still afraid dat dis 2 instituitions will reject me..come on,i could not imagine how clumsy i will during de innterview..if my 2 plans fail,wat should i do???i can pass my examination wif flying colour,huhu..but my social skill..i mean communication skill..worst than i could imagine..wat sould i do???is there another gud plan 4 me???

Hello all. Im a student studying A-lvls at UCSI Kch using edexcel exam board. First of all some may ask between A-lvls and STPM. Choose A-lvl if plant to further ur studies overseas. Or choose STPM is u hope for a plc in local unis. First of all USM in Penang has started to open applications for a-lvl students this year 2009. But bear in mind, no one knows how far or even how many they intend to take in. Oh again, some of u may tin A-lvls is expensive. In UCSI kch, the whole A-lvl course cost more or less 13k. Tution fee scholarships are also given by UCSI based on the number of A1s u obtain in SPM. For example 10A1s = 100% FREE tution fee that is free 9k! and the whole a-lvl course = 4k(including exam fees and misc etc). So A lvl is not that expensive really! Generally CIE(cambridge exam board) is slightly harder den Edexcel. Malaysians are biased in a way that most wud go for CIE and look down on us taking Edexcel. Tbh, when u apply for ur unis, they dun giv a fukin bull sh*t on wat exam board u take. Those say edexcel lauya easy are just those 'kiasu mother fukers'. Sorry im not offeding any CIE takers here :)

well,for my options here are just between matriculation or alvls.NOT stpm at all!fresh isn it??! I'ws wondering,since alvls is recognized by the whole worldwide(probably except for few countries but definitely not m'sia rite cause private institude do conduct alvls locally)so wats the point tat our government insist our lepasan spm fellows to just struggle in stpm(non-bumi)as an "entrance door" to local unversities...??!(tis is wat i can see)..alvls should be eligible also rite..?!wats on their mind actually!?!so sick of this stupid system..forcing us to comment out tis unneccessarities..anyway,if i don get matrix,alvls will be my final decision.for those doin stpm,congrats if u obtain excellent grades(probably overseas edy) but for those in achieving medium grade,u'hd suffered,so did u get wat the course u wan in the local unis??!(not offence but fact)..

i finished ma spm last yr!!! for pits sake..!!! now im planning 2 do ma a-levels...im hoping to pursue ma mbbs studies afta a-lvls...so which subj should i take for a-lvls???? should i take physics, bio, maths n chemistry....or just bio, chem n maths???? is physics a necessary subj to pursue our mbbs studies?? opinions plz!!!

i just finished my spm last year. i`m thinking about pursuing career in law and my only option is stpm because my family wouldnt be able to support me for a-levels. what subjects in particular that i have to take in stpm for a career in law? can anybody recommend other alternatives?

i really need help here..i got terrible result for my SPM. I got 6As and 3Bs..all my science subjects are B :(..what should i do now??? at first i want to take medicine.. but based on my result.. i don't think so...(or do i still stand a chance to go for it??) den i thought i want to take architecture.. but im not sure if i really hve this big interest on it.. den i was thinking to pursue with Law.. since i got A1 for sejarah...(do you think that can really help??) so what should i do now??? where should i continue?? A-levels?? Matrix?? Foundation?? What should i do now???!!!!

oh gosh. there are so many comments on this page and im getting even more confused.

i NEED help.

my spm result was really bad ( 4A's, 5B's and 1C).

im really interested in medic but im not sure whether A-levels or foundation is better. same goes to STPM and Malaysian Matriculation.

i mean, which one is better received in both public and local Universities?

i've went to an edu fair once and they told me that A-levels are more qualifying for most of the universities and another person told me that foundation is more accepted.

its making it harder for me to choose and the deadlines for most A-level programmes are very near so please help me.

another question, is it possible, if i were to take the malaysian matriculation, then continue my studies in a public U for let say two years, then further my studies overseas for the remaining years? i mean, will the malaysian matriculation certificate qualify me for that??

I'm pretty confused about the placing of students who've scored excellent results in SPM. Are they really sent to well-developed country 4 the next study or it's depending on the replacement exam later???

hey guys.im planning to take up a-levels in sunway for the july intake.and later on, im planning to do piloting once i complete my a-levels.i was just wondering whether is it useful for piloting or anything?haha. im just confused btw. =S

well , halo everybody.......~there's few reasons for why do i here today>....~first and foremost, i've just ended my matriculation course in kedah's matriculation college lately....and i obtained 3.47 in overall of my CGPA for i know it's not that good.....sooner or later,i've been offered to study in a course,that was,electrical engineering,in pahang that i've never liked in my whole life ever since i hate,to now,anytg gotta do in physics,i got 3B in spm,haha....~anyhow,i had rejected that offer bcuz of those reasons i've mentioned earlier....~n i'm,frankly,worried of where should i pursue my studies then ....at 1st,i planned to do A-LEVEL,then i feel like my wish was shattering when i knew about the cost of doing it...it's expensive that i guess my family wouldnt be able to support .....4 now,what should i do???apply in private college for diploma,foundation or degree??......i've tried applied few degree courses n am now waiting for their reply...i ponder im hardly to get enrolled into any of those degree courses n stuff....im exremely worried of my future....~can anybody shares idea of wat i should i do den??anywhr to study(better place) with reasonable cost....or otherwise ,should i wait for dec intake of UIA,a local u........??oh my goodness,im dizzy la wei...........help me! im suffocating...................

zzzz....who wanna learn law and a levels do call me...i done my a levels which is way cheap compared to tarc and taylor's...itz juz 11k man....n soon gonna do my LLB(degree in law)in d same college juz paying 60k(loan n scholarship included)..i dun see y u guyz having trouble in choosing wat u wanna do...form 6 was indeed world recognized..but think on d wider site...itz way harder,takes 2 years where a levels is only for a year and itz juz 11k..come on.if u duin stpm n taking tuition clases..dat sum is able to afford u do a levels le...blieve me....012-6164760(call me if u wanna noe any tips or advice regarding ur studies..juz studies k..and call on proper time plzz..)

zzzz....who wanna learn law and a levels do call me...i done my a levels which is way cheap compared to tarc and taylor's...itz juz 11k man....n soon gonna do my LLB(degree in law)in d same college juz paying 60k(loan n scholarship included)..i dun see y u guyz having trouble in choosing wat u wanna do...form 6 was indeed world recognized..but think on d wider site...itz way harder,takes 2 years where a levels is only for a year and itz juz 11k..come on.if u duin stpm n taking tuition clases..dat sum is able to afford u do a levels le...blieve me....012-6164760(call me if u wanna noe any tips or advice regarding ur studies..juz studies k..and call on proper time plzz..)

hello.i would like to ask a question.i am now a spm candidate and wish to enrol on A level.erm..if i enter the january intake which offered by sunway,do i manage to gt into university by next year july?

I'm currently sitting for SPM this year. I'm was thinking of enrolling myself into a private school next year, taking up Alevels. Would the government still offer JPA scholarships to me if I managed to secure a place in the Oxbridge, the Ivy League Schools of the Group of Eight in Aus. The private school offer a 70% tuition fee waiver. Do the government offer this scholarships for those who are studying in local uni? And would races matter?

hi..can anyone give me an opinion.. iwas really confused now.. i got mara scholar based on my trial results to do asasi sains in uitm and if i passed it, mara will sponsor to do medicine in uitm.. recently, i got jpa scholar to do a level in intec, 2.5 years doing medicine in oversea(ireland if i not mistaken) and another 2.5 years in penang medical college..which one is better?? studying medicine in oversea is really my dreammm..plz help me.. asap..

The A-Levels programme at Help Academy and UCSI is endorsed by London Examination Board (Edexcel) whereas the one at Taylor's, Sunway and KYUEM is endorsed by CIE (Cambridge). They are similar in nature but definitely not identical. There's a common stereotype among Msian students that CAL is a better option over Edexcel AL, but the fact is, they are more or less the same and recognised by universities in Commonwealth countries, meaning,if you're going to USA (which is not a member of CMW), likely, you still have to do SAT in addition to A Level. Graduates holding an A level cert, regardless of the exam board, get places in Universities, it's the results that matter. Both exam boards limits the minimum number of subjects to be taken at 3, and a maximum of 4-5.

Please Help Me!! I've just registered for HSC in Inti...but now i'm having second thouhgts and i am contemplating on going f6. what are the advantages??? why are most of the chinese school students=smart students going f6?? pls reply soon T-T

what should I do? I already applied for cambridge a level at TARC but now i am reallly confused . I am not from a very rich family ... I wanted to pursue my chemistry + biology studies at singapure or hong kong. I am sure that we can't afford that ... but I thought that I could get ASEAN scholarship but I jus can't hope that very much as it is very hard to get.. if I fail to get a scholarship for overseas ... with a level cert I can't pursue in local uni... so should I take stpm or a level?

is tar college a good college?...what about methodist college?...one offers cambridge a-levels while the other offers edexcel a-levels...i personally feel that methodist is an exceptional college..for its price..plus they do offer scholarships..so i can afford it..what do you guys think?

there is NO difference between edexcel and cambridge a levels.well, not in terms of recognition.any college offering a levels will be equally recognized as well, because eventually the papers are marked by the UK. although 3 subjects is more den enough, if u can afford it, go for 4 subjects instead (especially when u want to go overseas)MCKL/TAR are good choices for those who wan the cheapest options.for those people who are 'lazy', i think edexcel wud be better so that you dont stray from ur studies.

do stpm if u r not rich, miss BM & school, not sure about ur degree choice and/or want to get admission into IPTA.

and if ur not reli into going overseas, just pick a college and do a foundation course (if ur sure about ur ambition). its the cheapest option. especially at universities like UTAR(not sure about the quality, though).

in the end, no matter how hard an exam is, if you promise to do your best and dont end up 'living' too much, you should be ok.

This may sound crazy pls dont laugh. im from art stream i'll be taking spm in less than a week n now i decided i want to be a doctor. i hv no interest at all in business,account,economic,law etc. i wish to go for something that related to medicine now what should i do? i wish to study in US so im thinking bout alvl but im not sure if they let me take chemi n bio since im from art stream. what should I do? I dont want to to spend the rest of my life doing something i dont even like. PLEASE HELP ME!!!

I just finished my a-levels. Currently am waiting for my results which will be announced on CNY day this year. I'm really hoping to get a place in the local university, in the science field, but I'm not a straight A's student. Do you think there's any chance for me to apply. And if there is, how do I go about applying.

I am taking SPM this year. I might take a levles as my pre-u studies but i m frustrated with the high tuition fees by the colleges. i found out that tarc is providing scolarship if my spm got mininum 9a-. however, my friends said tarc is bad. are there any other choices for me if i want to study a levels but without paying more than 10k and with a not-bad quality?

Hi, everyone. I'm taking SPM this year too and A-levels will be my choice after that. Can anyone list the colleges which provide scholarships based of forecast results or SPM? Your help will be highly appreciated!

Hello guys, I have a question, I'm a bit confuse in which one to take either A-level or foundation, because some people say its really hard! I'm planning to take lawyer after that.. For the seniors who already have experienced the same course as i plan to take, does it really challenging? Because I need to decide it earlier. And btw which campus is best for the course?, I really need ur help.. Best regards ✌..

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